Vacuum washer and cleaner



April 30, 1929. v. J. GIAMPoLlNl l VACUUM WASHER AND CLEANER Filed Feb. 4, 1926 INVENTOR.

- 'upulmmun 4 /5 Z a ,r W

xl ATTORNEYS.

Patented pr. 30, i 19219.

vieron J. eIAMroLINI, or s AN rruncrsco, cALrronN'm.

VACUUM Wasrranv AND CLEANER.

This invention relates to an improved lloor l washer and cleaner and more particularly to a combined vacuum washer and cleaner. Vacuum cleaners of various kinds have been devised which are very efficient in sucking up dust and loose particles,but which are not adapted to clean a floor or like surface, wherein the dirt is not in a loose condition. It is one object of my invention to provide a floor cleaner or washer which is adapted to scrub the floor with a soap solution in a manner loosening the dirt therefrom, and thereafter sucking the solution and the dirt contained therein upwardly. into a container on the machine. The construction is preferably such that the soap solution is used continuously, the same being strained after its application to the loor to remove the dirt therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide -a combined vacuum washer and cleaner .which can be used either as an ordinary vacuum cleaner to merely remove losedust and dirt particles byV suction, or as a floor Washer in the manner above defined.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one. specific embodiment of my inven-l tion,-but it will be understood that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawing is not to be construed as dening or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims appended to the specification being relied v upon for that purpose.

i section.

i' formed by a Referring to the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine, the saine,` being illustrated partially in section.

Figure 2 is a front view thereof, partially in My improvedwasher and cleaner comprises a carriage 1 supported on rollers 2 and casters 3. The front ownwardly opening brush housing 38 which is relatively wide and within which is mounted the rotary brush 4. Rearward of the housing 38 there is formed as a se arate element a fan housing 39 having a ownwardly and forwardly extending nozzle 40 terminating in a port 16. Attached to the fan housing and disposed rearward.A thereof is the motor casing 41 having .thereinthevmotor 5. i

`The brush 4 is driven from an electric motor 5 through'a shaft 6, worm and worm wheel 7, shaft 8, bevel gears 9, shaft 10, Aand bevel gears 11; The brush includes a' tubular shaft 12 and is supported infplace by a ortion of thev carriage is Application filed February 4, 1926i Serial No. 85,833.

rod 13 extending through this shaft and threaded into the end walls of the brush houslng 38 at 14. Slotted walls 15 are provided at the ends of the brush for'keeping dust and dirt from reaching the bevel gears 11.

The suction port 16 ofthe nozzle 40 is disposed closely adjacent the floor directly be'- hind the brush. by a fan 17 on the motor shaft 6 in the usual manner. The upper end of the port branches into two ports 18 and 19, the port 18 being hereinafter described. The port 19 leads into the usual dust bag 20. Butterfly valves 21 and 22 are mounted in the ports 18 and 19 and preferably are connected together by a link 23 and operated by a handle 24. In the position of the handle illustrated in Fig. 1, the port 18 is closed and the port 19 open. By movingthe handle, the port 18 may be opened and the port 19 simultaneously closed.` l A tank 25 for water or a washing soap solution is mounted on the carriage.-v A pipe 26 connects thistank with a port 27, extending along the front of the carriage and having a plurality of small orts 28 distributed along and directly aheav of washing liquid from the tank is regulated by ,a valve 29. The tank can be illedthrough an opening ordinarily closed by a threaded sto per l30. lhe branch port 18 leads into the upper portion ofthe tank 25 preferably through a lstrainer 31 anda sightglass 32. Anairor sections which constitute#respectively the motor casing, the fan casing having a' down- A vacuum is created therein of the brush. The flow ward prolongation forming the nozzle 40, and

the housing 38 which encloses the rotary brush 4. This casting orsection 38 is formed to provide a chamber 42 which encloses the shaft 8 andthe transmission gear whereby the motion of the motor is transmitted to the shaft 8 and from the shaft 8 to the rotary'v brush. The motor shaft 43 extends through a plate 44 which forms the rear end of the fan housing 39. The fan 17 is mounted upon and the extremity of this shaft 43 wit in the fan housin is transversely notched. i

Dis ose against the front wall of the casting w ich forms the fan housing and nozzle the motor shaft 43,'y as shown in Fi ure 1,

40 is the casting 42. This part 42 which is cast with the housing 38 is practically coextensive with the front of the suction nozzle 40 and the ian casing and is formed with a flange through which screws 46 pass into the front wall of the fan housing 39. The rear wall of the casting or section 42 is formed with a bearing 47 for the shaft 6 and imme-l diately opposite this bearing 'the front wall of the section 42 has a screw-threaded opening in which is disposed a plug 48 `which constitutes a bearing for the forward end of the shaft 6. The rear end of the shaft 6 is provided with a lug fitting within the notch formed in the adjacent extremity of the shaft 43 so that by removing the plug 48 the shaft 6 may be removed entirel and further by removing these screws 46 tlie front section 42 with the housing 38 may be entirely removed with the shaft 6 so that any \of the parts carried by this front section may be repaired, replaced, cleaned or otherwise acted upon without in any manner disturbing the fan, the motor or the parts rearward of tlie housing 39. By removing the screws holding the plate 44 in place, the fan may be removed or the motor removed, thus permitting cleaning or repair of the fan or the motor.

It is to be noted that by adjusting the post 36 of the casterwheel 3, the machine may be tilted forward upon the wheels 2 as upon a fulcrumso as to cause the brush 4 to bear with greater or less force upon the iloor to be cleaned, depending entirely upon the work to be done. This tilting Jforward of the machine is ermitted by the 4:fact that the under. iface of t ie brush housing 38 is inclined upwardly and forwardly;

Briey, he operation of my improved inanchine is as follows.

First, the machine can be used as an or-y dinary vacuum cleaner. Vhen so used, the valve 18 to the tank is closed and the valve 19 to the dust bag 20 opened to the positions shown in Fig. 1. Also, the tank 25 is either empty or the valve 29 therefrom closed.

Second, the machine can be used as a iloor washer as follows. A water or a soap washino` solution is poured into the tank 25. The va ve 18 is opened and the valve 19 closed.

' The valve 29 is opened sufficiently to provide the desired amount ,of water on the iioor ahead of the brush 4. As the machine is pushed-forwardly, the brush rotates in a clockwise direction. along with theloosened dirt is thereafter l. sucked upwardl through the ports 16 and 18 and drained ownwardrll into the tank through the screen 31. e screen thereby removes the dirt from the water which is used continuously in the scrubbing operation. The Hoor may be ne over as many times as necessary and eaclliltime the water is automatically delivered to the floor ahead of the brush and sucked vupwardly therefrombe-v The scrubbing water` hind the-brush after the scrubbing operation.

It will of course be understood-that brushes varying in texture should be used for different kinds of work. These different brushes can be readily interchanged in the machine, merely b removing the rod 12. An operating han le 35 is provided 'at the rear of the machine. The pressure of the brush on the floorcan be regulated by adjusting the machine vertically on the castor post 36 and securing the sameby set screw 37. In such adjustment the machine is pivoted about the rollers 3.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclainiis: y

1. A floor cleaner including a carriage, a transversely extending brush housing forming part of the carriage and disposed at the forward end'thereof and openin downward, a shaft extending through the liousing and carrying a rotary brush, a water tank mount-- ed upon the carriage, means for delivering the water from the tank to a aposition immediately in advance of the brush, a 'fan housing disposed below the tank and rearward oi the brush housing, a transversely extending vacuum nozzle connected to the fan housing and extending downward into positionvimmedi ately behind the brush housing and having a transversely elongated ort, a tubular connection leading upward rom the fan housing and discharging into the water tank and having a strainer therein, a portion of the pipe' ing having a vacuum head opening downward immediately rearward of the brush housing and extending transversely parallel to the brush housing and nonterminous therewith, a motorL on the carriage operatively connected tothe fan and to the lrotary brush to drive the same, a tank mounted upon the carriage, means for discharging water from the tank in advance of the brush housing and at intervals alonv the entire length thereof, said means including'a valved discharge pipe, a pipeconnection leading from the tan housing and discharging into the tank, and Valve means controlling passage through said pipe.

3. A floor cleaner comprising a carriage includiiigl a ,fanhousing an electric motor attached tothe rear face of the fan housing and extendin rearward therefrom, thefortransversely extendin downward and being formed torovide a downwar opening vacuum head, a' fan in t e fan housing mountn ed upon the motor shaft, a housing mounted upon the front wall of the fan housing and" housing above the brush chamber, sai.d shaft. being operatively engaged at its o posite ends with the rotary brush, a driving s aft mounted in saidy housing at right angles to the first named shaft and geared therewith, said shaft havingdetachable engagement with the mo tor shaft in the fan housing.

4.-, A. ioor cleaner of thel character described' including a carriage formed of a motor casing, a fan housing aving a vacuum head, a motor shaft extending out of the motor casing through the fan housing and into the brush housing, Ithe shaft being made in detachable sections and a brush housing,

, the fan housing and vacuum head being disposed between the brush housing and the motor casing and the three elements being detachably engaged Vwith each other, a

- wheeled'support for the rear end of the motor casing, awh'eeled support mounted upon the fan casing-'and the vacuum head, and a rotary brush mounted within the brush housing, the

rotary brush being operatively connected tov said shaft to be driven thereby, the under face of the brush housing being upwardly` and forwardly inclined whereby to permit the carriage to be rocked upon the adjacent. wheeled support to carry the brush in`to greater or less contact with the ioor, the rear "wheeled support being vertically adjustable;

5. A Hoor cleaning mechanism including a wheeled support, a4 transversely extending brush housing mounted thereon and opening downwardly, a rotary brush extending longitudinally .through the housing and rotating about Va horizontal axis, the housing in advance of the brush Abeing formed to provide a transversely extending water-containing vchamber having a plurality of ports discharging downward and opening through the lower brush, a suction fan disposed in the housing,

a motor mounted upon the wheeled support and driving the suction fan, and av tubular connection leading from thesuction fan houss ing to the Water tank.

6. A `fioor cleaner comprising a motor casing, a fan housing detachably mounted upon the-front of the motor casing and having a downwardly and forwardly extending vacuum nozzle, a fan disposed within the `fan housing, a motor shaft extending from the motor casing through the rear of the fan housin and engaged with this fan, a shaft supporte s in the forward wall of the fan housing and detachably engaged with the motor shaft, a section detachably mounted upon the front wall of the fan housing and nozzle,y and formed to provide a downwardly opening brush chamber extending4 transversely of the machine, a gear chamber disposed above the brush chamber, the rear of said section bein formed to provide a bearing through whic said last named shaft extends into the gear chamber, the front wallof the gear chamber having a removable portion whereby access may be had to the interior of the gear chamber, a rotary brush mounted within the brush housing, and gearing operatively connecting the brush to said last named shaft and disposed within said gearing chamber.

7 4In a vacuum cleaner, a rotatable exhaust fan, a'casing there for having an inlet and anoutlet, a vacuum head connected to the inlet of the casing, a pipe connection'leading from the outlet of the fan casing and formed to provide two divergent branches, a tank into `which one of said branches discharges, a collecting receptacle into which the other of said branches discharges, and valve means for t closing off either of. said branches and simultaneously opening the other branch. .VICTOR J GIAMPOLINI.

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